calomnieuse

Calomnieuse is the feminine form of the French adjective calomineux, meaning calumnious or slanderous. It is used to describe statements, allegations, or insinuations that are false and aimed at harming someone’s reputation. The noun form related to the concept is calomnie, referring to the act of making false and damaging accusations.

Etymology and usage context: Calomnieuse derives from the noun calomnie, which comes from Latin calumnia meaning false accusation, and from calumniari, to slander. In French, calomnieuse can modify feminine nouns such as propos calomnieux (calumnious remarks) or une accusation calomnieuse. The term carries a sense of intentional deceit and reputational harm, and it is commonly found in formal, literary, or journalistic contexts.

Nuance and legal context: While calomnieuse conveys that claims are false and designed to injure, it is often distinguished from diffamation in contemporary law, where diffamation is the formal legal offense of making false statements about someone to a third party. Calomnie remains a strong stylistic term that emphasizes the moral wrong of deliberate falsehood, and it is frequently used to condemn rhetoric or publications perceived as deliberately harmful.

See also: calomnie, diffamation, injure, calomnier.